The immediate past governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has called for the validation of folk medicine in Nigeria as one of the best ways of finding lasting solutions to the rising cases of organ failures.

Ikpeazu, who is a teacher and author in Pharmacology and Environmental Biochemistry, said this during a one-day research products exhibition and award ceremony organised by the Nigerian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NSBMB) in Abuja on Tuesday, December 5.

The former governor called for a thorough investigation on the people’s food consumption patterns with a view to finding the causes of organ failure which he said has become prevalent in society.

He said: “I am particularly interested in the validation of folk medicine in Nigeria.

“Lately, there has been a high increase in cases of organ failure, especially the kidney.

READ ALSO: NSBMB nominates Ikpeazu for legacy award

“I think we need to look at some of the things that we are consuming that we were not consuming before and try to bring out what could be the culprit that is poisoning our kidneys, and causing organ failure.”

Ikpeazu further stressed on the need for collaboration between biochemists and professional disciplines for advancement in medicine and food technology.

The former governor added: “People from other disciplines claim the hard work of biochemists.

“Therefore, we need a handshake between the industry and research labs. So much is going on in our various laboratories, but not until the industries open their eyes to some of the outcomes and fallouts from the labs, can we begin to talk about advancement in medicine, food technology, or even science and technology.

“I pray that a time will come when the industries will understand that the raw materials that they need are found in the labs where biochemists are working very hard, toiling day and night.”

Ikpeazu, who was described as a silent achiever by the President of NSBMB, Prof. Matthew Wegwu, was honoured with a Legacy Award as ‘A Transformative Scholar In Leadership’ by the NSBMB.

The Star